Swiftheart's Story
by SwiftheartSwiftclan
Summary: Swiftheart has an ordinary life, but when she finds a strange kit in the forest with no scent, it could change her life forever.


Swiftkit swished her tail excitedly as Ravenstar spoke the familiar words of the apprentice ceremony. "Stormkit come forward" Ravenstar spoke clearly, "from this day forward until you receive your warrior name you will be know as Stormpaw" "Lionclaw please come forward, I hope you will pass on all you know to this young cat" she finished as the clan called Stormpaw's new name. Swiftkit shuffled her feet impatiently; she wanted it to be her turn! "Swiftkit come forward" "until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Swiftpaw" Ravenstar announced. "Lightningblaze come forward" "I hope you will pass on all you know to this young cat" Swiftpaw puffed out her chest proudly as the clan yowled her and her brothers names. The other apprentices rushed over to greet them, "We have some room saved for your nests in the apprentices den" Jaypaw said excitedly her fluffy gray hair puffed out from the cold. "Swiftpaw cant" Lightningblaze came up behind them. "She's coming to see the territory" Swiftpaw's tail shot up, "really"? She meowed. "Well come on"! Lightningblaze urged her out of camp. After Swiftpaw explored the whole territory with her mentor she ran into camp to find Stormpaw, she spotted him next to the apprentices den chatting with Bumblepaw, "Stormpaw! She yowled. He looked up and trotted over, "Did you explore the territory"? She asked. "Yes" he replied. "It's huge"! "We even saw a Darkclan..." she was cut off by a loud pounding of paws. "DARKCLAN"! Someone screeched as cats poured into Swiftclans camp. Stormpaw stared at the cat's eyes huge. Swiftpaw heard screeches as the battle started. She took off without thinking and ran into a small Darkclan cat, an apprentice she guessed. She leaped on the toms back and realized he was much bigger than she was. He twisted around and grabbed her shoulder in his razor sharp teeth, she screeched in pain and flailed her claws wherever she could reach, her claws met his skin and she pulled her self out of his grasp. She shot away from him and took cover under a bush and scanned the clearing for her brother. He was wrestling with a cat twice his size and he was having a very hard time. She ran to him and jumped on the big cat clawing as hard as she could. The cat threw them off and grabbed Swiftpaw by the scruff and threw her into the brambles that surrounded camp, she yowled as the thorns dug into her skin. "Help!" she yowled. Lightningblaze grabbed her out of the thorns and put her on the ground. "Hide and don't come out" she ordered. Swiftpaw ran to the apprentices den and crouched in the corner of the dark den. Screeches of the fighting cats filled her ears. Stormpaw came running in panting, "They told me to come in here and hide" he whispered in his sisters ear. "Me to" she replied. "I wish I could fight" said Stormpaw disappointedly. "Why?" "We can't fight yet!" Swiftpaw exclaimed. "Doesn't mean I shouldn't help my own clan" he meowed grimly. Swiftpaw pricked her ears as she heard an extra loud screech of agony. She padded slowly to the entrance of the den and peered out, all the cats had stopped and looked at a limp cat in the middle of the clearing, Badgerpaw was moaning in agony. Swiftpaw ran over to him and realized his leg was twisted and bleeding. She yowled for help and Featherbreeze the medicine cat ran over. She grabbed his scruff and dragged him gently over to the medicine cat den as the battle roared in Swiftpaw's ears ounce again. She dodged the fighting cats as she ran back to the apprentices den. The battle went on for a while until Darkclan finally gave up and ran back to camp. Swiftpaw crept out of the den and went out into the clearing. The ground was splattered with blood every where and there was several injured cats lying in the camp. She trotted to the medicine cat den and meowed softly to Featherbreeze. "Yes?" she heard the she-cat meow. "I wanted to see if Badgerpaw was alright?" Swiftpaw asked. "I'm really busy right now Swiftpaw!" Featherbreeze growled annoyed. "Sorry" Swiftpaw padded across the clearing and sat down under a shady part of camp. She twisted around tugging the thorns out of her fur, cursing at the warrior for throwing her in the brambles. Ounce she had picked the thorns from her pelt she got to her paws and looked for Lightningblaze, she found her outside of the medicine cat den getting treated for her wounds, she had scratches all over her pelt and her ear was bleeding. "Are you alright?" Swiftpaw exclaimed. "Yeah but training will have to wait for a few days" she replied. "Oh" Swiftpaw meowed disappointed. Swiftpaw padded glumly back to the apprentices den and curled up in her nest. Swiftpaw sat in front of Badgerpaw helping him stretch his leg, it had been a moon since the battle with Darkclan but his leg was still not healing properly. "Stretch farther!" Swiftpaw urged. "I can't" he growled in pain. Featherbreeze padded into the nest, "You can take a break Badgerpaw" she meowed. "I have to tell you something". Badgerpaw sat up. "What is it?" he asked. "Your leg is not getting better and I don't think it will" she meowed softly. "What!" Badgerpaw exclaimed. "Your father has decided you should have a name that suits you more" she went on. "Let all cats old enough to catch rabbits gather around the high rock for a clan meeting!" Ravenstar yowled. "Sorry" Featherbreeze meowed. Swiftpaw touched his nose with hers. "It won't be too bad I'm sure" she meowed. Swiftpaw helped Badgerpaw as he limped out to the clearing. "Badgerpaw come forward" Badgerpaw limped up to the high rock. "Because of the battle with Darkclan it has left you very injured" she began. "We have decided that a new name would suit you better" "From this day forward until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Twistedpaw" she finished. Twistedpaw spoke up, "I will still be a warrior?" he asked, his eyes filled with hope. "If you try hard enough" Ravenstar meowed. "Twistedpaw, Twistedpaw!" Swiftpaw yowled with the clan. Swiftpaw ran up to Twistedpaw and rubbed cheeks with him "I like the name" she purred. She saw Lightningblaze looking at her. "Young love" she meowed teasingly. Swiftpaw fluffed her fur with embarrassment. "No!" she meowed. "Ok sure" Lightningblaze place flicked her tail with amusement and padded to the fresh kill pile. Swiftpaw padded to her nest thinking about Twistedpaw. She didn't love him! She just liked him. He was nice but she didn't know about being his mate. She thought about the black and white tom until she fell asleep. Twistedfoot nudged Swiftpaw awake. He had been made a warrior just a few days earlier and she was getting sick of training. She got stiffly to her paws and followed Twistedfoot out of the den. Dawn patrol he meowed. Lightningblaze walked next her, "Today is going to be exciting!" she meowed. "Why?" Swiftpaw asked. "My first apprentice will be a warrior" she meowed casually. "What?" Swiftpaw jumped in excitement. "Do you know my name?" she meowed eagerly? "No" she meowed. "It's a surprise to everyone except Ravenstar" Lightningblaze meowed. "It wasn't a surprise for Twistedfoot!" Swiftpaw meowed. "Well sometimes it's not a surprise" Lightningblaze meowed. They checked all the borders and then headed back to camp. Right as the four cats walked into camp Raven star yowled the clan to a meeting. "Good luck!" Lightningblaze encouraged. Swiftpaw padded up to the high rock as Ravenstar called her name. "Swiftpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code even at the cost of your life?" Ravenstar asked. "I do" Swiftpaw meowed and she meant one hundred percent. "Then from this day forward you will be known as Swiftheart" your clan honors your courage and loyalty and welcomes you as a warrior of Swiftclan!" She finished. "Stormpaw come forward" Ravenstar meowed. Stormpaw got the name Stormfire and the clan yowled both of their names. Swiftheart heard Twistedfoot yowl the loudest and she looked at him lovingly. Swiftheart ran into camp looking for Twistedfoot eagerly. She spotted him by the fresh kill pile and called him over. He padded over, "What is it?" he asked. "I'm expecting kits!" she meowed a little too loudly and cats started to gather around congratulating her. "Really?" he meowed excited as a kit becoming an apprentice. "He rubbed his cheek with hers and started to lead her to the nursery. "No!" she meowed and pulled away. "I still have a while till I have them!" she meowed. "Oh ok but no running!" he meowed quickly, "Don't climb trees either, or play fight with any..." She cut him off, "I will be fine!" "Just relax!" she meowed. "Alright I guess" he meowed worriedly. Swiftheart padded through the quiet forest deep in thought. She thought about her kits and how she would not be a warrior for a while she was a queen. Her thoughts were interrupted by a root that she tripped over. She came back to her senses and focused on hunting. She heard a faint rustling in the leaves about three tail lengths away in the bushes. She stalked forward as quiet as she could until she was close enough and she shot her paw under the bush only to hear a wail of a tiny cat in the bush. She quickly sheathed her claws and peered under the bush. She saw a small kit and she gently nudged it out with her paw. It looked less than a moon old and it was very weak. She picked it up by the scruff and carried it back to camp as gently as she could. When she arrived in camp she was instantly crowded by cats. "Did you have your kit?" Twistedfoot yowled. "No mouse brain!" Featherbreeze walked up behind him. "She just found out that she was having them!" She flicked Twistedfoot's ear. Swiftheart walked to Ravenstar's den. "Ravenstar?" she called softly. "Yes?" she invited her in. Ravenstar's eyes widened at the kit. "I found it on out territory" Swiftheart said as she set the kit down between he paws. "What should I do with it?" Swiftheart asked. "We will send out patrols and see if there are any queens that hid the kit for safety" she decided. "Rabbitwhisker!" she called. The brown tom pushed into the den. "Organize a patrol to look out for a mother of a kit" she ordered. "Yes Ravenstar" he replied and slipped out of the den. "For now go to the nursery and talk to Snowcloud, her kits is young enough for her to have plenty of milk" Ravenstar meowed. "Ok" Swiftheart meowed and she picked up the kit and trotted to the nursery. She set the kit down next to Snowcloud, "Ravenstar would like to know if you could feed it until we find the mother?" Swiftheart asked "Of course!" Snowcloud meowed. "Thank you!" Swiftheart purred. She set the kit against Snowcloud's belly and the kit immediately starting sucking the milk. Swiftheart ran out to Rabbitwhisker, "Can I join the patrol?" she asked. "Sure" he meowed. Swiftheart joined the small patrol of only two other cats, Bumblefur and Twistedfoot. They ran through the forest to the place where she found the kit. "I will stay here and see if the mother comes here if you want?" Swiftheart asked Bumblefur. "That would be great!" He meowed. "Twistedfoot and I will search close by" he meowed. Swiftheart curled her tail over her paws and sat by the bush. After a while of waiting a patrol came to relieve them. Once in camp Swiftheart padded to the fresh kill pile and chose a squirrel. She settled down to eat and finished quickly. She walked to the nursery and peeked her head in. "Hi Swiftheart" Snowcloud meowed. "Come in". "How is the kit doing?" Swiftheart asked. "Good" Snowcloud replied. The kit was nursing on Snowcloud, its fluffy black fur standing out in the other three white kits fur. "She-cat or Tom" Swiftheart asked. "She-cat" Snowcloud meowed, gazing at the little kit. After several days of waiting for the mother of the kit Ravenstar decided to keep the kit as a clan cat. Snowcloud stuck her head out of the nursery. "Swiftheart!" she called. Swiftheart trotted over. "Yes?" she asked? "I want you to name the kit!" Snowcloud purred. "Really, but you have been taking care of it!" She exclaimed. "It must have been a gift from Starclan to you!" Snowcloud meowed. "You found it with no scent of another clan or kittypet!" Snowcloud meowed. "Ok I will name it" she purred and touched noses with Snowcloud. She slipped into the nursery and looked at the kit. "Shadowkit" Swiftheart whispered. "Beautiful name"! Snowcloud exclaimed. Snowcloud walked over to Swiftheart and sniffed her belly. "You have milk!" She meowed excitedly. "I guess its time to join you in here!" Swiftheart purred. "I will make a nest!" Snowcloud yowled as she ran out to get moss. She slipped out of the nursery and padded to Twistedfoot. "I'm joining the nursery" she meowed. "It's about time!" he purred. "I am going to nurse Shadowkit too" she meowed. "You mean the kit you found?" he asked. "Yes". She meowed happily. Twistedfoot purred. "Wonderful!" he meowed. She padded back to the nursery to find a nest already made. She purred and picked Shadowkit up by the scruff and set her in her nest then laid down for her to nurse. She started nursing quickly. Over the next few days Swiftheart enjoyed taking care of Shadowkit immensely. "Can I go out and play?" Shadowkit meowed. "You can play in the nursery" Swiftheart meowed. "Ok" Shadowkit tumbled out of the nest and started pouncing on all of the loose sticks or leaves on the ground. Swiftheart purred in amusement. "You will be a wonderful hunter!" Swiftheart meowed. "I know" Shadowkit meowed proudly as she clumsily pounced on leaves. A moon passed and Swiftheart was soon gazing down at her own two kits. Shadowkit was playing right outside of the nursery while the two young kits nursed in the nest. Bumblefur popped his head in the nursery. "Ravenstar wants to know if you would like to go to the gathering tonight?" he asked. "Sure!" she meowed. "Ok we are leaving soon so you'd better eat something" he meowed. Swiftheart got to her paws and left her sleeping kits in there nest. She chose a rabbit to eat and finished quickly. "Snowcloud!" she called to the fluffy white cat. "Yes?" she meowed. "Are you going to the gathering?" she asked. "No not this time" she meowed. "Can you watch the kits for me please?" she asked. "Of course!" she meowed and walked off in the direction of the nursery. Swiftheart joined the group of cats going to the gathering and they left at a quick pace. Once the cats reached Four Trees they split up to talk to other clan cats. Swiftheart padded over to a group of queens from different clans. "Hi Swiftheart"! How are your kits?" One of them meowed. "Wonderful" she purred. "What did you decide to name them?" an orange and white Iceclan she-cat named Sunwhisker asked. "Graykit and Rainkit" she meowed. "Lovely names"! Sunwhisker meowed. "Thank you!" Swiftheart purred. She looked up when a yowl sounded from the great rock. Darkclans leader, Stormstar started to speak announcing two new apprentices and there prey running well. Ravenstar spoke up next. "We have two new apprentices as well" "Cloudpaw and Whitepaw!" she announced. Prey is running wonderfully!" she finished. After the other two leaders were finished the cats were left to visit with other clans again. Swiftheart walked with the other cats back to camp. She was in a hurry because she wanted to be with her kits. Once she reached camp she went straight to the nursery and curled up with her kits. She groomed Shadowkit's fur down for the ceremony. "Shadowkit come forward" Ravenstar meowed. "From this day forward until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Shadowpaw" she meowed. "Bumblefur come forward, I hope you will pass on all you know to this cat" she finished and Swiftheart watched as her kit touched noses with Bumblefur. "Shadowpaw"! she yowled with the rest of the cats. She padded up to her kit and licked the top of her head. "Congratulations!" she mewoed. Bumblefur walked up, his eyes full of pride. "Is it alright if I take her now?" he asked. "Of course" Swiftheart mewoed "she's your duty now". Bumblefur beckoned with his tail for Shadowpaw to follow and they ran out of camp. She padded back to the nursery only to be knocked over by two small bundles of fur. She fell dramatically. "You've killed me" she moaned. The kits squeaked in excitement "We got her!" Rainkit meowed happily. It had been two moons since Shadowpaw had been made an apprentice and Swiftheart was a warrior again. Swiftheart missed taking care of her kits but she was glad to go on patrols again. "Sunhigh patrol Swiftheart!" Rabbitwhisker called from the other side of camp. "Ok Rabbitwhisker" she meowed glad to get out of camp. She padded up to the patrol containing Rabbitwhisker, Bumblefur, Shadowpaw, and her, Swiftheart. "First we will check the Treeclan border than hunt a bit" he meowed. Rabbitwhisker fell in beside Swiftheart, "This will be my last patrol" Rabbitwhisker meowed suddenly. "What?" she meowed? "I am going to be an elder" he meowed quietly. "I am going to miss having such a great deputy" she purred and rubbed her pelt against his. "I will miss it to but it is getting hard to do my duties" he sighed. They reached the border and remarked it with fresh Swiftclan scent. Swiftheart padded away from the other cats to hunt. She wondered who would be deputy now. She knew she didn't have a chance for it but she wondered what it would be like. She was still young and strong but she hadn't had an apprentice yet and those were the rules. You had to have an apprentice to be deputy. She sniffed the air for prey. She spotted a squirrel and sunk low to the ground. She crept forward silently, leaves rustled somewhere and the squirrel took off and so did she, she flew up the tree and grabbed the squirrel before it climbed to high. She curled her tail in triumph


End file.
